Artic Silver 5 install instructions, confusion.

[zburns]

To Rob, WM, Jamie, all other gurus. I downloaded Artic Silver 5 installation (application instructions). It is a 5 page download, page 4 is the important page. Clearly, their instructions do not instruct "the assembler to spread the Artic Silver 5 over the surface of the CPU heatspreader". They state the amount (3/4 size of a BB) to put on the center of the CPU surface, then to lower the heatsink straight onto the CPU (meaning lower perpendicular with heatsink and CPU surfaces parallel). They evidently intend for the mating of the heatsink and CPU surface to spread the compound.

There is a conflict with Rob's book instructions (old Artic Silver 3), the home page and the Zalman instuctions which state to cover the top of the CPU with thermal compound.

On their page 4, they make several important references such as "Understand that we are just putting thermal compound in close proximity to the center of the heatspreader". Another one is on page 4 under "Finishing the Application" about halfway thru the para, begining with "However, our testing has shown that this method minimizes the possibility of air bubbles and voids . . . from corner to corner. Happy cooling."

I emailed Artic Silver about this. I suggest one of you, I assume Rob, contact Artic Silver about this. For one such as myself, assembling my first computer, it matters that the cross information from multiple legitimate sources be consistent.

Thanks, zburns.

[Jamie Nixx]

You shouldn't put a drop of it, you should do a small line on the CPU, then the weight and pressure of the heatsink will spread it for you.

You have to remember, actual CPU is only 1cm x 1cm, the metal plate on top is a heat spreader.

[Rob]

Actually, I have tried it all three ways that I think are being referenced in this thread on an Intel E6750 processor. As a BB size drop, as a line, and as a thin layer. All three ways gave similar results.

How much is just right? The world may never know. Keep in mind that a little goes a long way. The purpose of the Arctic Silver is to transfer the heat from the core to the CPU cooler. So all you need is enough to fill the very thin metal-on-metal gap. So that's not much.

Putting too much can impede the transfer. Not to mention waste the thermal compound. So don't get carried away with it.

The important thing is to check your CPU temperatures when you're done. If the temperature does not look right then one thing to consider is the amount of thermal compound applied.